More questions : chambres d'hôte, Dordogne
 

Hello!

So I am planning my trip to the Dordogne in May. We won't be renting a gîte so we are looking into chambres d'hôte.

We have found one we like near Figeac because we want to visit that area for 2 days (Pech Merle, Figeac, St-Cirq, etc.).

However, I am having trouble deciding for our other 4 days. Here are our options :

PLAN A
Stay 2 days near Sarlat or Vezac in one of these two places :
http://www.villa-mege.com/
http://www.lesfilolies.com/

And 2 days near Perigueux (found a chambre d'hôte we like already).

PLAN B
Stay 4 days in one of the two above.

According to viamichelin, Périgueux to Sarlat is 1 hour driving, so what we want to see is quite close. However, we don't want to be spending our days in the car!

For all you Dordogne specialists out there, what are your recommendations? Are we moving around too much or is this a good way to get a feel of different areas?

Much thanks and happy new year to all!

Merci!

I would spend 4 days near Sarlat. On the last day there, if you have run out of things to see & do (doubtful), take a day trip to Perigueux. Two days in Sarlat area is not enough.

Stu Dudley

Ditto, Stu

If you had 5 extra nights, I could almost see doing a 4/1 split if you're the up-and-at-'em types. However, with 4 nights, just stay near Sarlat. You certainly won't run out of things to do.

You're going to have a wonderful trip. Wow, I loved that part of France. Enjoy it; it's truly a pleasure.

Thanks. I think we will stay near Domme or Sarlat for 4 days. Seems like a better idea.

Anyone know of the 2 places I've linked in my original message?

might take a look at this one..I stayed there and found it to be very nice and convenient..

http://www.les-granges-hautes.fr/en/index.htm

Graciejoan--we are interested in Les Granges for our trip to the Dordogne. Which room did you select if you don't mind me asking? Also, is the pool heated?

Nini,

I chyecked the site and I had "Zorba" and my friends had "Reves". They were up above and I was on ground level. They had more room than I, but I was alone, so the space was fine. It had a nice large, tiled shower with automatic tempertature control.

I think all the rooms were nice. I looked into most of them.

It is a nice place, nice people.

I would also suggest that you spend 4 days in the Sarlat area - there's so much to do there, that 4 days won't be enough! (You'll have to return - we have).

I'm not familiar with either of the chambres d'hote you're considering. On our last trip, we stayed at Chambres du Glacier, right in the middle of Sarlat. The location worked well for us because we wanted to be able to walk around town in the morning and evening, and not have to drive to dinner each night. (We ended up having two dinners in Sarlat and two elsewhere, that we did need to drive to.) The owners were wonderfully helpful and nice, and the rooms huge and clean.

Anyway, in the two that you're considering, check out the locations, and consider how you'll feel about driving in the dark after dinner.

We are going to the Dordogne area Sept 08. We looked at les grange hautes-- they look nice but we are also concerned that they are too far out and how far we have to drive after dinner at night in the dark. They sound like they are really in the country. Anyone know of anything nice in Sarlat-Domme area where we could walk around the town(even if the town is small) and maybe a few restaurants within walking distance. 100 euro or less per night

Thanks

Lexma: Les Chambres du Glacier look nice to us. Was it very busy in that area on Markey days. Also how was the traffic when leaving and coming home after a day out. we will be there in Oct so it shouldn't be as busy anyway.

Thanks

nsalerno, we stayed at Villa des Consuls in Sarlat and liked it very much. The driving in and out of town was fine for me, but we went late-March/earl-April, so not high season. I'm not sure how busy Sarlat is in September, but it's indeed a beautiful town and we enjoyed staying in it.

http://www.villaconsuls.com/

Leely: OOPS !! We're going in October. I just got home from a busy day at work and my brain is fried. They look OK too. Thanks

We stayed at La Bard in Vitrac/Monfort, run by Steve et Bronwen Houghton, a British couple,
(La Barde, Montfort.
24200 Vitrac, France.
05 53 28 24 34
www.perigord-dordogne-sarlat.com. It was one of the nicest B&Bs I've stayed in & it was very convenient to Sarlat, Beynac, La Roque Gageac, Font de Gaume, etc...The room was huge with a large walk-in shower. The breakfast was great too. We spent several days there in November & could easily have spend many more.

(

Mimmel: Are there any restaurants in this little town? It does look nice. Could we walk to dinner if we wanted to?

Hi NS,

If you mean Vitrac, yes.

Look it up at www.viamichelin.com.

You might also check Le Relais des Cinq Châteaux in Vezac.

((I))

nsalerno:
I didn't see any restaurants within walking distance. I think there may have been 1 place to eat but not really for dinner. We ate in Sarlat most nights but there were restaurats closer that the owners recommended. Unfortunately, we waited until the night they were closed to try them. Traffic getting to Sarlat is always congested during the day - even in November & especially on Market Day (which is fun). But even when it was packed, we were always able to find a parking place. I wouldn't choose to stay in Sarlat because you can't park near the hotel at night. To me that's a concern with a rental. We ususlly ate as soon as the restaurants opened at 7PM & even in November enjoyed walking around the town after, especially in early Oct. If you spend the day in another area such as La Roque Gageac or Beyac you would probably want to stay there for dinner. You'll have a great time. It was one of my favorite trips.

Thanks for your comments Graciejoan. La Bard looks good too--especially the tariff. I noticed that B&B is approved by Rick Steves. We have had some bad luck on some of his recommendations. We don't mind the out in the country aspect of a B&B. Quiet is very important and the drive can't be more than a few miles from Sarlat.

Thanks everyone for your great suggestions We also don't mind the country feel--in fact we want it but also would like a few restaurants or shops nearby so we don't have to always drive at night. In Provence we stayed at Mas des romarins in Gordes and thought Gordes ideal-we walked to dinner at night.
Has anyone stayed at Le Relais des Cinq Chateaux in Vezac suggested by Ira? Or we have just found a nice B&B 6 km. from Sarlat [email protected]. Has anyone stayed there?

Thanks

Here is the link to the bories just outside Sarlat http://www.best-of-perigord.tm.fr/he...edannieuk.html. Sorry I didn't send it correctly. I am learning.

I have been playing with Google Earth & thought it might help you with the restaurants. It shows exactly where they are, all in 3D from photos. http://www.google-earth-soft.info/

Unlike many of Rick Steves' suggested hotels La Bard is on the elegant side but not really within walking distance of much, except the Monfort Castle.

Re staying right in Sarlat, at Chambres du Glacier, it was a little noisy on the market day that we were there - Wednesday. But the only noise I really heard were the pipes that are used to form the side of the booths; no people or vehicles driving in or out. It bothered my husband a little (though not enough to wake him up), but I so much enjoyed being right there, that it was worth the tradeoff (obviously, not the choice that everyone would make).

Re parking and driving, we were in Sarlat in late May, and the traffic was a bit of an issue. Not because of the volume, but because May is apparently the time of year to do roadwork. So the rush-hour traffic into Sarlat at the end of our tourist day was delayed by the roadworks (I don't recall problems leaving town). Parking wasn't ever a problem - we always easily found free parking that was within 1-2 blocks of our B&B.

On Relais des Cinq Chateau, we haven't stayed there, but we did eat dinner there on a previous trip to the Dordogne. We liked the food, but weren't wowed by it. The place was nice enough, with great views after dark of the lit-up castles up and down the valley, but it wasn't luxurious or wonderful. As I recall, it's a hotel stuck in the middle of the valley, with not much around it within walking distance. But everything in that area is quite close by car.

We spent a week at Les Granges Hautes in Oct 2006 and it was blissful. We also stayed in Zorba and found the breakfast great, and the people very nice. They had great recommendations for dinners, and also cooked in house for all the guests on 2 nights a week. Highly recommend it!

Hi NS,

All of the little towns are 2-5 km from each other.

If you have a problem with night vision and absolutely can't drive, I think that Cinq Chateaux is too isolated for you.

Logis de France recommends Belle Etoile in La Roque Gageac. It has gotten good reviews here.

((I))

We loved the little town of La Roque Gageac and enjoyed two meals at the Belle Etoile. It's very central to the attractions of the area and quiet in the evening. We were staying in a Gite outside Cenac but ended most of our days at the little bar by the river in La Roque...views of the river on one side and views of the town built into the rock on the other side.

We visited Domme twice and did not form a strong attachment to it...it has beautiful views of the valley and river but the main square seems choked with traffic.... and it has too many tacky tourist shops for my liking. Just my opinion but I was glad we had not chosen it as a base. We were there in May as well and there was always plenty of parking in La Roque.

Good luck with your travel plans. My photos of the Dordogne are at www.kodakgallery.com/crazy4travel

So much to choose from! :-)

The nice chambres d'hôte that we are looking into are in these villages :

St-André-Allas
Vézac
Groléjac
Beynac

Since we will be coming out of a 1-week stay in Paris, we would rather stay in a village or the countryside, as long as we don't have to drive too much at night after dinner and a few glasses of wine!

Is any one of these villages better suited for our needs (good restaurants but not too expensive nearby + nice places to walk in the evening)?

I am by no means an expert, but I would think that Beynac fits the bill. Let's hear what others have to say.

p.s. Our trip last spring was my first time driving in Europe, and no matter where we set off to from Sarlat, we found ourselves driving through Beynac. Good thing it's so pretty!

http://www.pbase.com/leelygoes/france_2007

Hi J,

Where are you planning on staying in Beynac?

There isn't too much there. Although there is a very good artisinal bakery with a wood burning oven.

((I))

Hi, joj,

just a note of caution - the snd B&B in your link is giving prices per person, not per room. that makes them pretty pricy, IMO. the first one wasn't clear whether it was pp or per room, which is more usual in France.

a traditional hotel might well end up considerably cheaper.

Personally I prefer to be able to wander around a town at night, find a restaurant &/or bar, rather than having to drive, especaily if I've been driving all day. it also inhibits alcohol consumption for at least one person, though I appreciate that not everyone goes to france for the wine, I certainly do.

((D))

chaqu'un a son gout!

regards, ann

The place in Beynac is this one :
http://www.residence-versailles.com/fr/index.htm

annhig: I've had confirmation from the owner of our 2nd choice and it is 51 euros per room for two.

I'd definitely take Grolejac off the list, and probably Saint-Andre Allas. Beynac has a few commercial establishments, so it might work. I'd highly recommend La Roque-Gageac or Domme if you don't want to be right in Sarlat but do want to be able to walk to restaurants, cafes, stores, etc. Check out La Plume d'Oie in La Roque-Gageac. I believe in addition to being a great, if quirky, restaurant, they rent a few rooms.

I found a cheap chambre d'hôte in Domme (logis de la belle coutelière). I'm worried about driving in and out of the village after some Fodorites commented on this. Is this an issue in early May?

hi again, jojo,

that's a good price! is that les filolies? I liked the look of the swimming pool.

regards, ann

No, it won't be an issue in early May. I mean, only one car at a time can pass through the village entrances, so you might have to wait a few minutes, but it won't be a big deal.

It looks like it is shared bath at the Logis de la belle coutelière? I would want to clarify that in advance so you know up front as I think 4 rooms share 2 bathrooms.

Beynac is a cute little town and it does have a few restaurants and shops.

>>Beynac is a cute little town <<

That might be an understatement - it's perhaps the most photographed village in the Dordogne. Best views are from a boat or canoe on the river.

Stu Dudley

My MIL lives up the road from Residence Versailles. It's a very good location to see the area, and you are within walking distance to several restaurants, although none that wowed me. (still-it's France)

A very short walk away is the back trail to Beynac Castle. I love that trail. It's solitary and it has beautiful valley views. At the top it takes you past a cemetery and suddenly you're at the castle with the throngs of people.

Residence Versailles itself looks very pleasant and quiet. Sarlat is a ten minute drive away (at least in May).

crazyfortravel:
Great pictures; they bring back fun memories. I loved the one of the bus going through the opening in the rock. We tried to take that picture (minus the bus) but it was too dark. Also, La Roque Christophe had a fire & was still closed in November so we missed it.

Stu...yes the view of Beynac with its imposing castle from a distance is stunning. I have photos of it from almost every position. The town up close...is a cute little town with a nice position by the river. We visited the Castle in the morning and had lunch by the river. We were going to stroll through town but there's not really much to speak of. The hike from town up to the Castle would be nice on a good day. We arrived in the rain and fortunately it cleared up by the time lunch rolled around. I think the town boasts at least one good restaurant.

Thank you Mimmel...we didn't have enough time to do an inside visit of Le Roque Christophe. I was very sad to hear of the fire and its closing.

>The hike from town up to the Castle would be nice on a good day.

My Lady Wife and I did that. It is a very steep climb.

For those who don't care to haul themselves up steep hills, there is a parking lot at the back of the Castle.
Fee is 1E.

((I))